4 game ports to Nintendo consoles that turned out to be entirely different from the original

Something that has gone away from the spotlight in more recent years is the differences in ports of games to varying platforms. During the 90s, when the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis were clashing in the market, games of the same name would appear on both platforms, but had big differences. Even though the title was the same, they would play completely differently from one another. This would continue to happen for subsequent game releases on Nintendo consoles over the years. Eventually, this trend would disappear as technology for game consoles evolved and companies found ways to make their games be the same across platforms.

However, some game releases were notable for how different they were when ported over to a Nintendo console. This made them appealing to players who had one version of the game that was available before, but were curious about what was different in the other. Here are 4 games that were ported to Nintendo consoles that ended up being very different from their original versions.

4 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)

Wielding the Force different with motion controls

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a very beloved game on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It tells the story of Galen Marek, also known as Starkiller, during a time set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. But the biggest appealing factor is how over-the-top the game lets players use the Force against enemies. Whether it's bringing down a Star Destroyer from orbit or electrifying groups of enemies with Force Lightning, The Force Unleashed is bolder with its interpretation of The Force over other Star Wars games before it. The original game for PS3 and Xbox 360 was very positively received by fans, but the Nintendo Wii port of it felt and played differently than its console counterparts.

Not only did the Wii port of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed implement motion controls with the Wii nunchuck controller, but it also contained new content that wasn't in the original. There was a multiplayer duel mode that allowed players to control multiple Jedi and Sith characters from throughout the franchise, letting them wield the Force like Starkiller does in the main game. There were also a variety of new skins and bonus unlockables to obtain in this version that didn't appear in the original, but were later included in the portable versions of the game. The motion controls made The Force Unleashed feel like a very different action game, which many criticized for its easy difficulty compared to the original.

3 Mortal Kombat (SNES)

Censorship makes it different

Mortal Kombat is infamous for having different versions between the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. While the original arcade release put a focus on the hyper-violent nature of the fighting, that wasn't going to work for Nintendo and their 16-bit system. This led to censorship that was enforced by Nintendo at the time of its development, leading to the Sega Genesis version outselling the SNES version of this legendary fighting game. Due to this result, Nintendo lightened up their stance on violent games when Mortal Kombat II was brought over to the Super Nintendo, allowing it to receive praise and sell more than the Sega Genesis version.

The biggest changes on the SNES come from the removal of blood and alterations to finishing moves for the whole roster. Instead of blood, characters exude what is supposed to be sweat when attacked, with no blood drops hitting the ground. Fatality moves, which made the game super popular, were completely changed to look much less violent than their original iterations. The worst example of this was Johnny Cage's finishing move being completely different from his arcade one. While some of them remain a little closer to their original concept, such as Scorpion and Sub-Zero, the damage was still done for the majority of the game. To date, many consider the SNES version of Mortal Kombat to be the worst in comparison to the Sega Genesis port.

2 TMNT: Tournament Fighters

Some radical differences

Another fighting game that had some big differences between it's multiple versions was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters. In the late 80s and early 90s, the TMNT franchise was seen everywhere. Merchandising was massive for the heroes in a half shell, leading to multiple video game releases based on the series. The fighting game based on the turtles had three versions that were on the NES, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis. Each version is different from the others, with variations in content, presentation, and gameplay.

The NES version is a watered-down and basic approach to the fighting from the other two. The gameplay is more akin to the Double Dragon games with 8-bit graphics and a smaller roster. The Super Nintendo version has a full story mode, along with more characters, different controls, and different presentation. And finally, the Sega Genesis version had no story mode, fewer characters, and a three-button layout for the controls. The Genesis version also has its own light story that is very different from the SNES, focusing more on clones that the turtles fight throughout. Each version of the game feels a bit different to play and offers their own experience, despite bearing the same name.

1 Altered Beast (Famicom)

A different kind of beast

Most people would think of Sega when they hear about the game Altered Beast. Originally starting as an arcade game developed and published by Sega, Altered Beast was ported to the Sega Genesis in 1988. It's been a classic Sega game that has been re-released in retro collections and digital stores many times over the years. But did you know that there was a version of Altered Beast for the Nintendo Famicom? The game was also known as Juuouki, and was made by Asmik Ace Entertainment and Interlink. While this version of Altered Beast was never released outside of Japan, it came out for the Famicom in 1990. While there are some similarities between this version and the one on Sega Genesis with its story, the Famicom version has some big differences.

Not only is the presentation very different, having 8-bit graphics, but this version of Altered Beast has exclusive content not found in the original game. There are three new stages that players traverse, which appear in-between some of the main stages from the original arcade game. These stages are a forest, an underwater city, and a mountain range; all of which contain some new boss battles as well. In addition, there are three new transformations to go with the new stages, which include the player transforming into a lion, a shark, and a phoenix.

Variations for Nintendo players

There are many other games that were very different for Nintendo platforms that have been released over the years. Unlike back then, this practice has ultimately faded away because of how games can be ported over to different consoles more faithfully. The need to be different from the competition in some ways has ultimately changed, especially with how the development of new games has shifted. For many that love exploring retro game releases, it can be fascinating to see what is unique and different between platforms, allowing them to experience something they may not have seen before then.